Will Power

Will Power has had an outstanding season so far after securing a late deal to race full-time for the Penske squad in the IndyCar Series.

Four victories on road courses and consistent points finishes on the ovals have helped him into the lead of the championship; not bad for a man whose 2009 season was cut short due to a serious back injury.

Recent wins at Watkins Glen and Toronto and a runner-up spot at Edmonton though made him EDGE Performer of the Month for July.

He beat Red Bull F1 driver Sebastian Vettel and World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb to become the first man this year to be named EDGE Performer of the Month on more than one occasion. Mark Webber and NASCAR Sprint Cup leader Kevin Harvick completed the top five scorers for July.

Power's talent behind the wheel of a single-seater was evident from his early forays into racing. He won the Queensland State Formula Ford title in 2000 at the age of 19 and was runner-up in the Australian Championship the following season.

Ranking Year

He diversified the following season as he competed in both the national Formula 4000 and F3 championships, winning the former and finishing second in the latter. He also made his V8 Supercar debut and finished 18th at the Bathurst 1000 in a Ford Falcon he shared with Mark Larkham.

A move to Europe was inevitable, but a two-year stint in British F3 was stop-start at best. Choosing to join the small Diamond Racing squad, who were running an experimental Ralt chassis, was a bad decision, although a mid-season switch to Dallara-equipped Fortec Motorsport did at least provide him with a podium finish.

A full year at Alan Docking Racing in 2004 - where he replaced fellow Australian Will Davison - brought him ninth in the championship, but no wins.

The following year was the one that changed everything for Power. Two wins for Carlin in the new World Series by Renault (a championship won by Robert Kubica) re-established his credentials and earned him a drive with Team Australia for the inaugural A1GP event at Brands Hatch.

The following year was the one that changed everything for Power. Two wins for Carlin in the new World Series by Renault (a championship won by Robert Kubica) re-established his credentials and earned him a drive with Team Australia for the inaugural A1GP event at Brands Hatch.

An impressive showing and two podiums were his key to a Champ Car drive with Walker Racing (under the Team Australia banner) at his home event at Surfers Paradise, and to two more seasons with the team in the US-based series.

A spirited, and surprising, title challenge in 2007 included wins at Las Vegas and Toronto and brought him fourth place in the points. He also gained the honour of winning the last race to carry the Champ Car name (although it counted for IndyCar points) at Long Beach in 2008.

Now an established name, his full-time switch to IndyCar in '08 with KV Racing Technology, ended up delivering little in the way of results as he finished 13th in the points.

However, his class had been noticed by legendary team owner Roger Penske. And when his primary driver Helio Castroneves was forced to miss the opening race of the '09 season due to an ongoing court case over an alledged tax scam, it was Power who was called up to race.

He did not disappoint either as he qualified and finished sixth. Even when Castroneves returned for the next race at Long Beach, last-minute funds were found to run Power to pole position and second place on the street course.

A first 'proper' IndyCar win came at Edmonton later that year, but a horrifying accident in practice at Sears Point, when Power ran into the side of Nelson Philippe's stationary Dallara just beyond a blind crest, left him with a number of broken vertebrae and thinking his career was over.

Far from it. A fully-recovered driver won the opening round of this year on the new Sao Paulo street circuit and then added further successes at St Petersburg, Watkins Glen and Toronto to lift himself into a clear series lead.

Will Power's talent is finally reaping the rewards that his hard graft and immense speed deserves.